Dr Nick Brown

Diagnostic & Interventional Radiologist

BSc, MBBS (UQ), MPhil, MSpMed, FRANZCR, EBIR

Dr Nick Brown specialises in Interventional Radiology, with particular interests in interventional oncology, thoracic interventions, sports medicine and uroradiology. After graduating from the University of Queensland Medical School, Dr Brown undertook radiology training at The Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.

He completed a fellowship in Interventional Radiology at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, with a sub-specialist interest in interventional oncology. He also attained post-graduate qualifications in sports medicine from the University of Queensland and bioscience enterprise from the University of Cambridge, which compliments his work in radiology.

Dr Brown has a number of active research interests in oncology, toxicology and nuclear medicine, and has published numerous papers in peer- reviewed literature. He is an honorary research fellow at The Australian Venom Research Unit and also currently holds academic appointments at the University of Queensland and the Translational Research Institute.

MRI-guided in-bore biopsy for prostate cancer: what does the evidence say? A case series of 554 patients and a review of the current literature

Over the last 5 years prostate MRI has emerged as a revolutionary imaging modality in diagnosis of prostate cancer. The introduction of prostate MRI has led to the possibility of performing a prostate biopsy while the patient is in the MRI machine (MRI-guided biopsy, MRGB). This study reviewed the imaging and biopsy results of 554 men who underwent a MRGB at the Wesley Hospital. It was found that 80% of patients (443 men) were positive for prostate cancer, and 55% of patients (307 men) had a significant cancer. Most men who had a significant cancer had been deemed highly suspicious for significant cancer by the Radiologist who reported the prostate MRI. Overall, this study demonstrates the value of a MRI-based two-step approach to diagnosis of prostate cancer, including prostate MRI, followed by MRGB if the MRI is suspicious for cancer.

Prostate artery embolisation (PAE) is an emerging treatment for symptomatic enlarged prostates (benign prostate hyperplasia, BPH). BPH is very common condition in men with prevalence increasing with age. The PAE procedure is performed by an Interventional Radiologist and involves blocking the blood supply to the prostate with microsphere, which causes the prostate to soften and shrink, thus relieving symptoms. This study was the first prospective trial to study PAE in Australia and aimed to assess the safety, short-term efficacy and early functional results of (PAE). The results of this study showed PAE is a technically feasible and safe procedure, with excellent short-term efficacy. Follow-up of this cohort to 3 months showed an 80% improvement in both symptoms and quality of life; furthermore 90% of patients had ceased or decreased their dependence on medication for BPH.

First use of microvascular plugs in Australia for permanent embolisation of small arteries

Micro Vascular Plug System (MVP), are a treatment for small blood vessels in the lungs which are abnormally connected to each other (called pulmonary arteriovenous malformations, PAVMs). If left untreated, patients are at increased risk of serious complications such as stroke. This report describes the first Australian experience with the use of MVP for PAVMs and found that inserting these tiny blood vessel plugs into the PAVM was a feasible, safe and effective treatment.